


Carlos's Echo

by MicoJKen



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Episode: e166 Delta, Episode: e167 Echo, Established Relationship, M/M, Secrets, Spoilers, cecilos - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:08:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24479248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MicoJKen/pseuds/MicoJKen
Summary: With the arival of the Pilot and his passengers came a danger that the citizens of Night Vale had never seen. Carlos is resalute in protecting his husband and their secret. There has to be a way to resolve this. Some kine of scientific solution. But... there might not be anything science could do. No this time, it would take love. The kind of love that only a parent could give.
Relationships: Carlos/Cecil Palmer
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Carlos's Echo

**Author's Note:**

> While listening to Echo and being aware of the secret from Spy in the Desert this story bloomed in my head and so I wrote it and put it here.  
> And out of respect for Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink I tried to ambiguously describe the secret so some of the story will be a little perplexing in true Night Vale fashion- I hope.  
> I don't own anything, this fandom is the beautiful brain child of Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor and it is glorious. I highly sujest reading the books and spreading the weirdness that is Night Vale to anyone you possibly can.  
> Now lets get to the story.  
> Enjoy.

"Oh, oh no." Carlos breathed as he listened to his husband on the airwaves. "Nils, tell everyone to go home. Go home now and lock yourselves in!"  
"What about you?" she asked looking slightly panicked-for once unsure if science could fix this.  
"I'm going to Abby and the others." he told her, squeezing her shoulder in a gentle firm way like an older brother to his terrified younger sibling. "Be careful, take care of yourself."  
She nodded and they rushed off to take care of their own driving off to their safe spaces.  
"Carlos." Abby breathed a sigh of relief at seeing him at the door, ushering him inside.  
"Abby, where is-"  
"In the living room with Janice." She assured him.  
"And Steve?" Carlos urged following her further into the house.  
"He's there two listening to Cecil."  
They made it to the living room where he saw his niece Janice holding his most cherished secret. She smiled kindly and let him take it gently as they all settled together listening to his husband on the radio.  
The situation was only getting worse by the second. Carlos was pacing with his eyes glued to his family's radio. Cecil's voice was getting wobbly and strained as he reported the current events. His stress was leaking through the waves tightening on his husband's heart. His secret was also affected by this and wiggled in his arms getting him to slow his pace so he could calm it. Scenarios and equations were running through his head. Numbers that may be used to save this town, save his family, save his secret. Over and over again he worked out equations walking over to the table where he started writing notes in his journal in an attempt to straighten out his thoughts.  
Then he heard it.  
The Pilot using his Cecil as a mouthpiece, speaking his threats and plans with Cecil's voice.  
Carlos saw red.  
He glared at the radio as the weather played.  
That was when he heard his phone ring.  
"Cecil." he exclaimed knowing it was him.  
"Carlos, I- that wasn't me. I didn't want to say-"  
"I know, Cecil, it wasn't you. I know it wasn't."  
"Carlos I need you here. I need you so he can't use me to hurt you and… I need you to come here."  
"I'm coming." Carlos promised, grabbing all his needed equipment. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Stay strong, love. I'll be there soon."  
"Just... hurry please."  
The crack in his voice made Carlos grit his teeth as he hung up.  
"I'm going to Cecil." he told his family.  
"Be careful out there." Steve called after him.

It didn't take him long to arrive at the station. When he did Cecil smiled tiredly at them. Carlos smiled back before offering Cecil the secret, but Cecil shook his head.  
"It's not safe." he whispered.  
Sadly Carlos nodded, setting down their secret and went about cuffing his husband to his desk. This done he went back to the secret and holding it close and staying in Cecil's line of sight to keep him calm and sane. The secret could sense the tense and menacing atmosphere and began to fret in Carlos's arms unhappily.  
The minutes ticked by. Cecil's voice grew thicker with worry making him choke sometimes. He would constantly look to Carlos and their secret to steady himself. Taking deep breaths and steeled his nerves and continued.  
They stayed there for a day and a half, Carlos diligently caring for the secret while Cecil frets at his desk.  
Then the sun rose the next day.  
The news got worse. The situation dire. Then impossible.  
"Carlos run." Cecil begged as the weather played. "Please just go take our bundle and go. Hurry."  
"I'm not leaving you." Carlos told him, cradling his face.  
"You have to." he urged. "You have to get out of here. You have to go on, for me, for yourself, for…"  
He trailed off, his eyes resting on their secret in the corner.  
"Please you have to run."  
"I can't go without you." Carlos murmured pressing their brows together. "We can't."  
"Please." Cecil begged fruitlessly.  
The mob came then roughly grabbing them- barely allowing Carlos to grab the secret- and forcing them out into the street. Carlos lost sight of Cecil as he was forced to the end of the cue, but he watched it all.  
He watched the pilot approach Cecil and as his husband muttered to himself trying to keep focused. All the while the pilot hissed evil in Cecil's ear. Carlos fought every urge to run over there and spout statistics on planes and pilots, putting the pilot in his place. Instead, he focused on soothing the secret, cooing to it, and shushing it.  
He tried to focus solely on the secret as the pilot made his way down the row of the last of Night Vale. Tried to rack his brain for any scientific solution that could save them. But nothing came.  
The pilot stood before him, and he stayed.  
Just like with Cecil he reached out for Carlos's mind. But Carlos was unable to hear him. Because of this, he assumed the pilot would move on. He didn't. Instead, he shifted his focus on the secret. Carlos glared as the pilot reached for it. The secret seemed enthralled by the Pilot. Carlos had to move so he was between the Pilot and the secret.  
"Don't you dare." he hissed beautifully.  
Pilot regarded him with disgust before motioning for one of his followers to take the secret and two others to pin Carlos to the ground.  
"No!" Carlos cried as the follower walked away with the secret. "Please don't! Don't take-"  
But there was a sudden commotion.  
He watched as Amilia Alpharo murdered the pilot freeing them all.  
He rushed to find the secret, snatching it from the dazed follower who put up no fight. Cecil found him then, embraced him, then-at Cecil's insistence- solved the numeric code. It was a kind message from mother to daughter.  
Then it was over.  
Then they were going home.  
Sat in their living room holding each other, holding their secret, and holding their sanity.  
It was over.  
They were safe.  
As safe as one can assume to be anyway.  
All that was left of the day's events were the echos.  
Echos of lives lived, and minds lost.  
Echos of communities and victories.  
Echos of a secret cooing in the night.  
Goodnight, Night Vale; it cooed. Goodnight.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think.  
> Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.  
> Thanks again to Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor for creating such a beautifully weird story.  
> Thanks for reading.  
> And I'll see you in the next story.


End file.
